Macromedia Flash is a multimedia and software platform used for creating vector graphics, animation, games and Rich Internet Applications (RIAs) that can be viewed, played and executed in Flash Player. Flash originated with the application SmartSketch, developed by Jonathan Gay, to draw using PenPoint OS. It was published by FutureWave Software.
SmartSketch was ported to Microsoft Windows and Mac OS when PenPoint failed in the marketplace. As the Internet became more popular, FutureWave added cell animation editing to the vector drawing capabilities of SmartSketch and released FutureSplash Animator. FutureWave first approached Adobe Systems with an offer to sell them FutureSplash in 1995, but Adobe turned them down at that time. In 1996, FutureSplash was acquired by Macromedia and released as Flash.
Flash manipulates vector and raster graphics to provide animation of text, drawings, and still images. It allows bidirectional streaming of audio and video, and it can capture user input from mouse, keyboard, microphone and camera. Flash applications and animations can be programmed using ActionScript.
Macromedia Flash is now known as Adobe Flash after Macromedia was acquired.
Adobe Flash Player makes the Flash content accessible on various computers and devices free of charge for common web browsers in a form of plugins. Some smartphones, tablets, and a few other electronic devices use Flash Lite.